Canadian wildfire smoke lowers air quality in Prince George's County

Smoke from Canadian wildfires lowered air quality across Prince George’s County, and AirNow’s Maryland page carried a wildfire smoke in multiple states alert as the plume moved through the Mid-Atlantic. Prince George’s County Government also had its own air quality page and weather alert page for residents in the Maryland suburban D.C. region.

The Maryland Department of the Environment’s Air Quality Forecast page and AirNow tracked the worsening conditions. AirNow’s regional alert tied Maryland to a larger wildfire-smoke event stretching across multiple states, and residents were urged to cut back on outdoor activity while the smoke passed through.

On June 7, 2023, Gov. Wes Moore issued a statement on Maryland’s red alert air quality condition resulting from Canadian wildfires. That same day, most of Maryland was in Code Red for air quality.

Children, older adults, and people with heart or lung problems are most at risk when air quality slips into unhealthy territory. For school sports, recess and physical education belong indoors when smoke lingers; practices and games should be shortened, postponed, or moved inside if coaches and principals see the county alert rise. Outdoor workers, from landscapers to road crews, should limit time outside and take more breaks away from the smoke. Seniors should stay inside as much as possible, especially if the air looks hazy or smells like smoke. Commuters should use the county and state alert pages before heading out.

Smoke from southwestern Ontario wildfires had drifted across the northeastern United States into Maryland. In Prince George’s County, the county page, the state forecast, and AirNow showed how long residents needed to keep their plans indoors.